Aircell Announces Technology Roadmap

ITASCA, Ill., March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aircell, the world's leading provider of inflight connectivity, today unveiled an expanded technology roadmap for the delivery of its revolutionary and widely deployed Gogo® Inflight Internet service.  In addition to Aircell's existing and highly successful Air-to-Ground  (ATG) technology, the company will enable connectivity via a next generation version of ATG ("ATG-4") as well as Ka-band satellite technology.  These technology options will be selectable at the aircraft or fleet level and enable attractive solutions for every airline, aircraft and mission.

"Between business and commercial aviation, there are currently more than 6,000 Aircell-equipped aircraft across ATG and satellite technology platforms," said Michael Small, President and CEO of Aircell.  "We're thrilled to be the only inflight connectivity provider that can meet our partners' full fleet needs in the United States today.  With this announcement we strengthen our offerings domestically and begin to extend our leadership globally."

The suite of technologies powering Gogo® Inflight Internet will consist of the following:

• Air-to-Ground (ATG): With a proven track record of performance, reliability and scalability, Aircell's ATG-based service will continue to provide a rich user experience for connected travelers by featuring 3G wireless utilizing EV-DO Rev. A.
• ATG-4: Aircell's ATG-4 service will significantly enhance the existing ATG network and improve per aircraft capacity by approximately four times current performance through the addition of Directional Antenna, Dual Modem and EV-DO Rev. B technologies.  ATG-4 is scheduled for commercial delivery beginning in the first half of 2012.  This new platform is backward compatible and allows for upgrades to existing ATG systems through low cost retrofits.
• Ka-band satellite: Aircell's Ka-band satellite technology will provide additional capacity to supplement what is available through ATG, ATG-4 and current generation satellite technology, as well as enable Gogo service beyond the continental United States (CONUS).  Based on satellite launch and antenna development schedules, Aircell expects its Ka-band technology to be available for CONUS in 2013 and globally by 2015.  Aircell expects many aircraft to take advantage of its unique and proprietary ability to integrate air-to-ground solutions with satellite solutions for better performance, enhanced features and higher reliability.

By offering multiple technology platforms, Aircell is the only provider able to meet the needs of any aircraft and its mission.  ATG's combination of low cost, small equipment footprint and high performance will continue to delight travelers in the future.  At the same time, many larger aircraft with higher capacity needs will benefit from the improvements enabled by ATG-4, again at a low cost and with a smaller equipment footprint as compared to satellite solutions.  Aircraft with missions beyond CONUS will benefit from the geographic flexibility a satellite solution provides.  In advance of the global availability of Ka-based satellite service, Aircell can provide a Ku-based satellite solution for the international needs of its airline partners.

For commercial airlines, Aircell's technology roadmap will allow airlines to select the technology that best suits particular aircraft at a particular time, and to easily upgrade from one Aircell platform to another.  In addition, all Aircell network technologies will utilize its enormous advantage in proprietary "know how" (including over 30 US and international patents for its inflight connectivity solutions), and will leverage its world-class systems for technical monitoring and support, customer care and billing.

In the business aviation market, Aircell currently offers three different inflight technologies, including Iridium Satellite, Inmarsat SwiftBroadband (satellite) and Gogo Biz™ (ATG). Specific details about ATG-4 and Ka-band Satellite technologies for the business aviation market will be released in the coming months.

About Aircell

Aircell® is the world's leading provider of inflight connectivity.  As winner of an exclusive FCC frequency license in 2006, Aircell has built a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business aviation.  In 2008, Aircell revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by delivering Gogo®, a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet.  In addition, the Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more.  A similar feature set is available to Business aircraft operators.  Aircell has facilities in Broomfield, Colorado, and Itasca, Illinois.  Aircell's vision is to give everyone the ability to stay in touch, in flight®.  For more information about Aircell, please visit www.aircell.com.

About Gogo

Gogo®, powered by Aircell, turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot with true inflight Internet access.  Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops and smartphones, can surf the Web, check e-mail, instant message, access a corporate VPN and more.  For more information about Gogo®, please visit www.gogoinflight.com. You can also follow 'gogoInflight' on Twitter (www.twitter.com/gogoinflight) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/gogoinflight).

© 2011 Aircell LLC.  Aircell, Gogo and in touch, in flight are trademarks of Aircell or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

SOURCE Aircell